Many people have difficulty singing the mid range of scales during the transition from low to high notes. This is commonly referred to as “the bridge” or the “breaking point.” When singers encounter the bridge, they can often sound like they are running out of breath, funny voice, or completely out of tune. However, by practicing proper voice control exercises, this dilemma can be avoided.
The human singing voice can be divided into two voices: the head voice and the chest voice.
The head voice comprises higher notes and is often characterized by a clear sound. The chest voice comprises the lower note and is characterized by a deeper, fuller sound. Many vocal coaches mistakenly treat the two voices separately, and coach students to practice different voice exercises for each voice. However to successfully master the breaking point of your range, the voice needs to be treated as one cohesive unit.
Most songs involve singers to shift their voice past the breaking point. If a song involves quite a loud volume, the singer very often comes across sounding croaky, rather than with the rich projective voice in resonant singing.
To successfully master the middle range, practice the following exercise. This exercise is designed to help singers achieve a seamless sound when transitioning across notes while using a single breath.
- Sing from the letter E to H, starting slowly and quietly – gradually building volume as you cross from one vowel to the next
- Repeat the exercise, singing from E to H again. Only this time, alternate and change pitch between every vowel
- Repeat the exercise, singing from E to O
- Repeat the exercise, singing from E to O. Again, alternate and change pitch between every vowel.